IG report on Fast & Furious will come in “weeks and not months”

posted at 10:41 am on July 26, 2012 by Ed Morrissey

The next shoe to drop in the case of Operation Fast and Furious may not fall in federal court, where the House will attempt to force Attorney General Eric Holder to cough up documents under subpoena for almost a year now in a civil contempt case. It may come from inside the Department of Justice itself. Reps. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) and Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) met with the DoJ’s Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who told them his report is almost finished:

“He said weeks and not months,” said Rep. Gowdy referring to the timeline IG Horowitz gave him and Chaffetz as to when the IG’s report on Fast and Furious will be released to Congress.

Horowitz’s report is expected to show how the controversial gun walking operation failed and who ultimately authorized decisions behind the program. Attorney General Eric Holder has already been held in contempt by the House for failing to comply with a House Oversight Committee subpoena that required the Justice Department to supply Congress with thousands of documents relating to the Fast and Furious investigation.

Of course, no one is sure what the report will actually say. Presumably, an IG can access the documents that House Oversight chair Darrell Issa subpoenaed last October. If so, then we should know exactly how high up the decisions went on OF&F, and at the least, we could get an idea of how many people were involved in presenting false testimony to Congress last year.

On the other hand, if the IG couldn’t access those documents, then we’re pretty much at the status quo — but that’s not necessarily all bad. Gowdy told The Washington Times’ Kerry Picket that he has no idea what to expect from the report. Even if it’s inconclusive and incomplete, though, the completion of the IG investigation gives Holder and the Obama administration less cover to keep Oversight from accessing the internal DoJ documents. They can no longer complain that the House investigation is interfering with an ongoing DoJ probe. That will put some pressure on the court to take the executive privilege claim even less seriously than they might otherwise treat it.

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Holder and Co refused to comply with Congressional subpoenas, provided false testimony, exercised 5th amendment rights, and hid behind Presidential privilege. What makes anyone believe they would treat the IG any differently. This is just another tactic to delay.

Horowitz’s report is expected to show how the controversial gun walking operation failed and who ultimately authorized decisions behind the program.

Bullsh!t! The operation was a stunning success. It got guns into the hands of killers that used, and continue to use, them. 200+ people are dead including a federal border patrol agent, Brian Terry. Those were the most walking-est guns around. I’d be surprised if the ATF didn’t train the cartels how to better use the sights and such….FFS!

The problem here is that the person running the IG investigation is a holder lackey herself.

For the Department of Justice and the Fast & Furious investigation, that Inspector General would be Cynthia A. Schnedar.

As it turns out, however, Katie Pavlich, author of the book “Fast and Furious,” notes that Holder and Schnedar have connections that go back a long way. While Holder worked as a U.S. Attorney in Washington from 1994 through 1997, she was the Assistant U.S. Attorney, reporting to Holder. In other words, Holder was Schnedar’s boss. They also worked on legal briefs together, and filed over a dozen such briefs together during that period.

The media will probably cover this report extensively because it will exonerate Holder and the President. No way Obama and Holder would give up any of the smoking gun documents to an investigator who is going to release a report before the election.

I just don’t think I can trust an IG report on the DOJ coming from within the DOJ. Especially this DOJ.

Voter from WA State on July 26, 2012 at 10:45 AM

I’m not sure. I have a good friend who’s an investigator in the DoJ IG’s office. He’s retired Secret Service and has no love whatsoever for DoJ. He’s been part of the F&F investigation and, while he has not, nor would he ever, share details he’s said that we won’t believe the politicization of DoJ and the political involvement in F&F that’s going to come out in the end. So stay tuned.

Nothing illegal there; no need to report on it, don’t want to educate and scare the nipple suckers. After all, it’s just Herr Commandant cleaning up the new Republic of USA from all those nasty high powered guns that those fly overs cling to.

So the IG’s job is to find whatever might be incriminating so that the DOJ can cover it up before they respond to Congress?

oldroy on July 26, 2012 at 10:50 AM

So the purchase order for whitewash finally came through?
GarandFan on July 26, 2012 at 10:53 AM

It had to be approved by the GSA….

oldroy on July 26, 2012 at 10:55 AM

You’re on a roll!

The problem here is that the person running the IG investigation is a holder lackey herself.

For the Department of Justice and the Fast & Furious investigation, that Inspector General would be Cynthia A. Schnedar.

As it turns out, however, Katie Pavlich, author of the book “Fast and Furious,” notes that Holder and Schnedar have connections that go back a long way. While Holder worked as a U.S. Attorney in Washington from 1994 through 1997, she was the Assistant U.S. Attorney, reporting to Holder. In other words, Holder was Schnedar’s boss. They also worked on legal briefs together, and filed over a dozen such briefs together during that period.

Does the corruption in this administration ever end, and will the dinosaur media ever report it?

MaaddMaaxx on July 26, 2012 at 11:41 AM

Good catch with that Doug Hagmann story and link. With her career past, she will not likely serve Holder up . . . or any other political appointee, for that matter.

Hopefully, Issa has a few documentary “revelations” he has not thrown at them yet, sitting comfortably in his back pocket. When her report comes up small — and it will — he should toss ‘em right in their laps.

Why is MItt not attacking 0 more on F&F??? I mean in ads…I understand that his focus is the economy and the ‘you didn’t build that’ OBama insanity moment helped tremendously, but am thinking of all those dem ads portraying romney as ‘secretive’ and asking questions on an ominous tone, like ‘what does mitt have to hide’, he can easily counteract them all with ads that point to the WH handling of the F&F, the executive order, in the context ‘what does Obama have to hide ‘ is a pretty good and effective Iine of attack as any other…

The Chicago way. You don’t see nutthin’ … if you know what’s good for you.
If there is even the remotest possibiliy of anything connecting Holder with F&F in this report and this is leaked to the WH via Cynthia Schnedar … I have a urgent message for Michael Howowitz: Mike, if you are ever invited to visit Ft. Marcy Park – Don’t Go!

And will the LSM pick up on the Holder and MF Global gigaripoff?
Yea, sure, about the time the neighbors Holsteins sprout wings.

Romney’s target is Obama, not Holder. He is on message with the economy and Obama’s latest dumb and revealing comment on “you didn’t build that.” In fact, Obama is getting really testy about it because he knows it is working against him! And testy is when a guy is likely to make more mistakes.

Romney isn’t going to suddenly switch gears and get drawn into a prolonged battle running ads against Holder, or spending a lot of time personally attacking him. The Congressional R’s are doing fine on that. Switching gears right now is exactly what Obama’s camp would like Romney to do.

Politically, it would actually work to Obama’s advantage if Romney suddenly started concentrating on that, particularly given the fact that Holder already made the public claim that all the attacks re: the whole F&F controversy are only being launched against him because he is a “surrogate” for Obama.

When you’ve got ‘em squawking in the red zone, you don’t just set up and kick a field goal until you run a few hard running plays at ‘em from scrimmage, or whatever else worked to get you there.

“It’s the economy, stupid!” And Obama’s demonstrable inability to either understand it, or to deal with it.

And by the way, few months ago, Romney did call for Holder to be fired by Obama.

Good comment. My mistake in relying on that point in the article. Thanks for pointing it out.

I don’t know why Gowdy has the faith in him that he does, but the jurisdictional issue you mentioned certainly does seems like a potential red flag when it comes to Holder acting on any findings — it could give him an “opportunity” to seek a further investigation, and try to buy more time.

The Department of Injustice investigating the Department of Injustice, excuse me if I don’t get my hopes up to high. This whole administration is made up of lies, and the only way it can survive is by more lies. The only ones that believe justice will be served, still have their heads stuck in the sand. The present government consist of stupidity compounded by ignorance compounded by corruption. Heaven help us!

The nation will wait with baited breath as the Justice Department investigated itself and found out that we should move on because there is nothing to see here? Now, will they turn over the documents because there IS NO LONGER an ongoing investigation?